The Dickinson press., 1887-04-23
FINE HAND SEWING.
A GREAT DEMAND FOR GIRLS WHO
CAN DO GOOD WORK.

NA."S
of Callings Suffering for Lack Of
Workcrs-Good Wages for First Glass
Work.
others is so much talk nowadays about
woman's work and the few avenues open to
her, and yet one of the oldest aml most HON
orel of ~callinss is suffering for want of work
clS,'' s"il n well known lady the other day,
whose connection with the Young Womcu's
Christian association, the Womcn's exchange
and other similar Institutions has brought her
into contact with workers OF all classe-
teachers, dleSsnakers, musicians, nurses,
sa~l.swomen, factory and shop women, and
all the great host who earn their living by
doing something which is considered "not
mental"
II mean hand sowing" said the speaker.
eve lave constant calls to supply first class
plain sewers, but very few are III our list.
BY tbs term | 10 not mean those who can
hem sheets or table cloths, or anything of that
kind onl;, but girls who can hem stitch and
tuck. put on embroidery and lace, and do all
kinds of sewing necessary i'll the making OF
underwear, baby linen and fnc bed linen.
Such work requires n dainty hand, and is an
art that the g%entlcwolncn of n past generation
put among their accomplishments. We find
very few girls fitted for this work, and yet
there is n large demand for it"
AS is well known, people OF wealth In New
York do not care for machine sowing. Every
article of underwear and all the household
linen. and especially the childrcn's garments,
are all hand sewn. Many families employ n
seamstrcsS hy the month for this purpose, but
there must he Il Thousand others who would
employ one by the day or week.
FINE A WIN
\ Young lady who has made her living by
hand sowing for the past two years was
sought out and interviewed on tho subject.
She was found in q neat little fiat on the east
side living with her sister, who teaches III ono
of the public schools, and with her mother.
AT first She was not inclined to talk on the
subject, but afterwurd consented to tell of her
success.
~ always thought l should like to he n
teacher, but my people were not able to keep
Inc Mt school long enough, and | was kept at
home by illness also. When l found out that
l must earn my living some other way l APP
piled for a position i'll n store and got it; but l
was homo i'll in two months. l could not
stand for SO many hours. What to try next l
did not know: but a kim friend said, Why
not do sewing, you sew so beautifully So
advertised to do all kinds of fine hand sewing,
and also applied at the Women's exchange,
and soon | had work. Now l have moro than
l can do"
"How much do you make ut it 2"
"Wcll, more than my sister, who has been
teaching for three years. l charge two dol
lars n day when | work Mt peoples houses,
md by the piece when l work ut home. 1
continc myself almost entirely to making fine
underwear and baby outfits, and my mother
earns considerable doing embroidery for tho
same garments. Many people employ me
who once bought I'LL such things in Paris.
They find that it can lie done here for half
the expense. Frequently they bring Inc an
imported garment and ask me to make a half
dozen like it.
81 do not think working OH fine white CAM
brio and linen half so injurious to the eyes
md lungs rs general dressmal.ing. l am try
ing to induce my sister to give up teaching
and do work similar to mine. Icxpect to so
to Newport this summer, and an engaged by
five different families. l shall 60 from ono
house to the other and keep all the fine, white
dresses and lingerie in order, and make new
ones when desired. l an always treated
nicely, and 1 think going among refined peo-
pie is better than teaching ina public school
or working i'll a store"
ROOM AT THE TOP.
This young lady is evidently Mt the top of
the ladder at hand sewing, and it would seem
as though there was plenty Of room for
others on the different rounds. From seven
ty-five cents to S1.50 are the usual prices paid
to hand sewers, and this, of course, includes
meals. There are a lumber of women who
earn a living by doing the family darning
and mcnling. In all households Of any sizo
this is 10 light task; and three families would
give many a woman constant employment;
$3.50 Il week would not be missed by thou
sands Of New York housekeepers, who would
make double that amount in knowing that all
the shirts We're supplied with buttons and the
stockings nicely darned.
A higher branch is the making Of bed and
table linen and keeping them in repair. This
is much neglected in most households, and rs
there is generally no ono on hand competent
to mend fine linen, it is used torn as it comes
from the laundry, and much costly damask
injured for want Of n little care.
"Thcre is such q fashion at present for
everything hand made" said the amiable
president of one of the various employment
agencies connected with institutions in this
city, "that 1 think 5000 or 1000 women
could earn q competency by doing hand sew
ing. We have had severaldemands of late from
would be employers, but We're unable to find
enough neat and expert hand sewers. The
trouble is that very few girls arc taught to
sew by hand as they were some twenty years
ngo, and gathers, gussets, feelings and such
terms are hardly known to them. The work
has its drawbacks, of course, but as other
fields seem overstocked it is strange that more
AVE not come into this one."--New York
Journal.